Visiting end of next week. Don't necessarily need help with locations, i've got all the regulars down. BUT...wondering if anyone has inside information about on-site or to-go bottle highlights?? Won't have time to hit EVERY spot so if anyone has visited recently and can call-out any of their recent experiences that would be great! Going to do the self-guided tour at Cantillon and have a few bottles, then trying to figure out what to hit btwn: - La Fruitiere - Moeder - Poechenellekelder - Nuetnigenough - Pistolet Original Anything else??
No inside info but for takeaway, BEL-icious/ D’en Belge is your best bet. Huge selection, friendly and knowledgeable owner (who might open a bottle with you while you shop), great prices. If he doesn't have something you're looking for, ask, as he might have it in the basement. Otherwise, La Fruitiere usually has a smallish but mighty selection. Pistolet has good sandwiches and Chouke (onsite only), a little out of the way for one special beer but not a bad lunch option. If you want lunch near Cantillon, walk two blocks to Beyrouth and get some amazing (and super cheap) Lebanese pizzas/flatbreads.
It sounds like you’ve got the classics covered and a good plan in place. Cantillon self-guided tour is a highlight and usually worth the time for the history and tasting experience. For on-site or to-go bottles, recent visitors often mention Moeder Lambic Fontainas as a great place with rotating bottles and rare drafts. It’s not a bar with its own brewery, but they’ve had interesting lambics and saisons on shelves. La Fruitière is solid too — good selection and a relaxed vibe, especially later in the afternoon. Poechenellekelder and Nuetnigenough are more about atmosphere and food with good beers rather than rare bottles to take home, so focus there on drinking in rather than stocking up. For something a bit different, people rave about Brasserie de la Senne bottles in local shops rather than a bar pour. You might find their recent releases in To-Go stores around the city. Also check smaller specialty beer shops near Les Halles Saint-Géry or around Grand Place — they often have limited bottles from Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, and other Lambic producers that you won’t necessarily find on tap. Hit the bottle shops earlier in the day if you can, and enjoy some pints at the bars later.
@WaldoBlackwood: You're replying to a trip that occurred last summer, probably because the dates in the thread title were confusing (I just fixed that). Anyway. This thread should've been locked, so I'll do that now and the info will be up for anyone else that finds it.
